Best Friends
by Silver Fox Red Rose
Summary: A slightly OOC and OOSexy Armin pays the price for revenge in this short, sweet, (and slightly lemony) story.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"No!" I scream in desperation. "Please, leave him alone. He didn't do anything!" I look on in horror as my best friend, Armin, is surrounded by a group of thugs.

"You better shut your mouth bitch or else you'll be next," one of the thugs menaced while another grabbed hold of Armin and put him in a choke hold, winding his hand and then launching it into Armin's face. I could hear the sickening crunch of Armin's nose breaking from where I stood.

"We gave you everything we have so just leave us alone!" One of the thugs wearing a bandanna broke away from the circle and came up to me.

"I think we told you to shut up!" He said backhanding me with all the force he possessed. I flew across the pavement and landed near a pile of cardboard boxes. Stars flashed across my eyes and my head immediately began to pound.

"Armin…" I choke, spluttering on the blood gushing from my nose. The thug simply laughed and kicked me with his boot. I scream in absolute agony.

"I'll give you something to scream about you sorry piece of shit," he sneered, kicking me again and then falling to his knees, pinning me with his body weight. He pulled at my skirt and yanked my underwear down to my ankles. I struggled uselessly against his massive form.

It was over in a matter of moments.

I heard Armin call my name in-between grunts. They had him on the ground now and were kicking him mercilessly.

The bandanna wearing thug mocked Armin as he zipped up his jeans and rejoined the group. He erupted in vicious laughter, the others joining in one by one.

By now, I had managed to sit up but I knew I was in no shape to help my best friend. All I could do was sit there and watch. Watch those filthy bastards beat him unconscious. When they were done, they spit on Armin's bedraggled body and walked away high-fiving each other… not giving either of us a second thought.

"Armin! Armin!" I crawl over to where I was lying and shake him frantically. I see that his abdomen is moving up and down ever so slightly, indicating that he was still breathing.

"Oh thank God!" I murmur with relief. I sit back on my knees and sweep away Armin's bloody, matted hair from his face, surveying the physical damage those assholes had ravaged on him.

His nose was definitely broken and he had a big gash right above his eyebrow. Bruises were already starting to form along his jawline and underneath both eyes. As to the rest of him, I couldn't see much under his tattered clothes but I was sure he would have bruising on most of his body in addition to a few broken ribs. Tears formed in my eyes and trickled down my face, mingling in with the coagulated blood that had formed on my lips and chin from when I was slapped.

"It's going to be ok, Armin. I'm here and I'm not going to leave your side for a minute. I don't care if we have to wait here all night before someone passes us by. I won't take the chance of something happening to you while I'm gone." I realized that the choice I was making might be putting Armin's life in even more danger but I didn't care. I couldn't risk those thugs turning up to finish the job.

To pass the time, I lift Armin's head onto my lap and stroke his hair. I sing him a lullaby from our childhood. One where fairies danced and children played. About halfway through the song, it began to rain but I kept right on singing...almost as if my life...no...my sanity depended on it.


	2. Chapter 2

~Time skip four years~

"Armin!" I run towards Armin as he sets his duffle bag down on the ground. He holds his arms wide open and embraces me into a welcoming hug.

"I've missed you so much! I can't believe it's been three years since you went off to..." I decide not to finish my sentence and switch tracks. "Here, let me look at you." I dragged myself out of his arms and took a step back. Assuming a stance of deep concentration, I examine my best friend from head to toe.

I instantly notice that he was no longer the defenseless teenage boy that had left three years ago. His body was thick with muscle and discipline. His stature was tall and erect and his persona commanded respect. He had even gotten rid of that ridiculous He-Man haircut he had sported all throughout high school. I smile appreciatively.

"You look good, Armin." Armin's cheeks reddened at my compliment yet he was bold enough to return one himself.

"You're not so bad yourself." Armin whispered while gazing at me. I had done some growing myself and it was apparent that he liked what he saw.

Now it was my turn to blush.

"Quit being silly and let's get something to eat. I'm starving." Armin scrambled for his bag and I lead him from the bus stop to the local dinner down the street. Levi's had been our favorite place to eat when growing up and I hoped the good memories would revisit Armin and make him feel more at home. We enter the restaurant and choose a corner booth.

"Do they still have the nacho cheese fries?" Armin asked eagerly.

"Mmm, hmm. But, you have to try this too," I say pointing to the macaroni and cheese pizza that had been added to the menu a few months ago. "I made sure to wait for you so we could try it together." I smile warmly at Armin but notice he didn't return one back. I tilt my head to one side and ask him if everything was ok.

"Uh, yeah. Everything is fine. It's just weird being back here, that' all. It's almost as if nothing has changed…but then again…" I arch my eyebrow.

"Well, some things never change," I respond shaking my head. "You always did have the tendency to be over philosophical about things."

"It's not like that. I just-I just don't know how to explain it." Armin shifted in his seat uncomfortably and looked up at the ceiling. "I just feel like I missed out on a lot while I was gone and…" his voice trailed off as he contemplated some more.

"Hey, let's not get into all that just yet, ok? You're back and that's all that matters. We'll have plenty of time to catch up so let's just enjoy our meal and take it one step at a time." Armin dropped his gaze and looked at me.

"Ok," Armin said in agreement. "Let's get something to eat and then we can talk." I sigh in exasperation. Once Armin got a hold of something he never let it go.

After we ordered, Armin went to the bathroom to wash up. While he was gone, I leaned back in my seat and let my mind drift. It floated lazily back across time, touching briefly on some of the happier memories I had shared with Armin. High school pranks, late night movies…the first time the two of us kissed. I reach up and touch my mouth with my fingertips.

It was our first high school party and I had had the brilliant idea to play spin the bottle. I managed to convince Armin to play and the two of us ended up sitting down across from one another amongst all our friends. Since I had proposed the game, I got to choose who went first. I watched Armin spin and after a few rotations the bottle shuffled to a stop with the tip of it pointing towards me.

I remember the heat rising to my cheeks as we awkwardly leaned across the circle, our friends watching our every move. Armin looked at me with all the confidence in the world and smiled, almost as if he had been hoping this was going to happen. I closed my eyes and felt Armin's soft lips lightly touch mine. It was a chaste kiss, ending seconds later but, it was one that I was going to remember forever. Not only had it been my first kiss, but I knew that Armin's kiss was bestowed upon me with generosity and love and nothing else.

I smile absently and drop my hand back onto my lap. My mind continued to skip across time until it slammed into a wall. One I had put up for a reason. One that kept the nightmares at bay on the long, cold nights while Armin was gone.

_No, I am not going to think about that. Not when Armin can come back at any time._

Unfortunately, my mind refused to listen and I was thrust into the past, surrounded by the memories of Armin being beaten and me watching uselessly on the sidelines. Oh how I hated myself for being so weak. If I had been able to do something to stop them…Armin wouldn't have…

"Hello?" Armin waved his hand back and forth in front of my face to get my attention. I came back to the present with a start and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, I must have zoned out or something…it's been a long day." Armin nodded and sat on his side of the booth. He leaned forward and started peppering me with questions when it was apparent I wasn't going to share what I had been thinking about.

"So, what have you been up to lately?"

"Didn't you get my letters? I wrote to you practically every week."

"Um, after I was transferred to…I wasn't allowed…I didn't get them." A pained expression flashed across Armin's face but disappeared in seconds. I almost thought I had imagined it.

"Oh," was all I could muster but then forced myself to rally. It wouldn't do to dwell on Armin's situation when there was nothing I could do to change it. "Well, as you know, I decided to take a year off from college and try my hand at painting full-time. Needless to say that was an absolute disaster, but, when I needed cash, my mom's friend let me write for her magazine which inspired me to start my own blog. After a few months, I developed quite a following and a recruiter from _ Magazine contacted me asking if I wanted to write for one of their opinion columns. I think I found my calling, Armin. I love writing, and to be able to do it full time? I really lucked out." Armin clapped his hands together and practically shot out of his seat.

"That's terrific! I always told you that you would make an incredible writer if you took your time and worked on it." I blush at Armin's praise. He always encouraged me with whatever harebrained scheme I was attempting at the time. I remembered the letter he wrote when I told him I wasn't going to college. He had supported it with all the enthusiasm in the world waving away the doubts of everyone else, including my parents.

"Thanks, Armin. I start my new job a week from Thursday and I'm really excited." I look down at my hands and smile sadly. This was the part that I hadn't included in my letters. "But there's a catch. The job is in _."

Armin felt his heart drop in his stomach and all light went out of his eyes. He was happy for me but the thought of me leaving was twisting his insides until they were nothing but chalk.

"Oh."

"I know…the timing couldn't be worse." I reach out and grab hold of one of his hands. "I can stay if you want me to Armin." I add with meaning. Armin shook his head and sat back.

"No, I can't ask you to do that. I _won't_ ask you to do that. It would be selfish of me and God knows I have already done enough selfish things to last a lifetime."

"No one blames you, Armin."

"I could have stopped. I didn't have to…"

"What's done is done. You've paid for it with three years of your life. Thank God you got out-"

"On a technicality and I'm still on parole for the next five years. If this world was really just I would still be rotting away in a prison cell."

"Armin-"

"Let's face it. You and I both know I killed the guy on purpose. There's no use denying it."

There.

He had said it.

The very thing I had been dreading since he stepped off the bus and held me in his arms.

He had killed another human being…just…like…that.

My precious…sweet…innocent…Armin.

"Look, forget I said anything." Armin remarked as the waitress came over with our food. She sat down our respective plates in front of us and walked away, leaving the two of us alone again. Armin tucked into his plate of food with gusto while I stared at mine, pushing around the macaroni on my pizza.

I suddenly had no appetite and all I wanted to do was run as far away as I possibly could.


	3. Chapter 3

~Time skip to the following week~

"That's the last box," Armin said as he loaded it into my already stuffed back seat. He wiped his hands on his jeans and closed my car door. It gave a resounding thud similar to the first pile of dirt being heaved onto a coffin.

"Thanks, Armin," I say genuinely. "I don't know how I would have gotten all this into my car."

"I just wish I could be there to help unpack it." I knew he meant every word so I rushed to him and gave him a hug, squeezing him with every ounce of my strength.

"I know. I wish you could be there too." I slowly release Armin from my embrace. It was time to say goodbye…again.

"Well, I guess this is-." Armin covers my mouth with his finger.

"It's not goodbye. You'll be back to visit for the holidays and with technology these days, it will be like you never left." Armin said in forced cheerfulness. He didn't want me to see how much my leaving was hurting him on the inside.

"You're right. This isn't goodbye, just a small 'see you later until next time', ok?"

"You got it." Armin stood back while I got into my car and slowly drove off down the road and out of his life. He waved, a small tear escaping down his cheek.

~Time skip to the next day~

I was busily unpacking my things and rearranging them into something that looked like ordered chaos. Being the nerd I was I had first unpacked my drawing materials, paints, and books instead of the more practical things like plates, clothing, and towels.

My hands divulge the last of my books from a large box and I kick it to the side and take the stack of books over to my bookcase. I place the books one by one, taking care that they were in alphabetical order by author's last name. When I come to the second to last book, I notice that it didn't have anything written on its spine or cover.

_That's weird. I don't remember owning a book like this._

I sit the other book down on the floor and take the unmarked one over to a pile of empty boxes I was currently using as furniture until mine was delivered. I flip open to the beginning page and recognize the handwriting immediately. It was Armin's.

To My One and Only:

We have been best friends since before I can remember. You've been the one guiding force in my life, helping me stay balanced and happy in this crazy world. You are precious to me and I promised myself that I would always be there for you, protecting you, and keeping you safe. It wasn't until that day that I saw how incapable I was of keeping that promise and how truly ridiculous it had been to make one as such.

When he touched you, everything in my mind snapped like a jolt of electricity. All I could think about was surviving long enough to pay the bastard back for what he did. While I lay there in the hospital recovering, I plotted and planned, seeing his image and his image alone when I closed my eyes every night. Then, finally, when I was able, I hunted him down like the dog that he was and watched the life leave his body in slow, ragged breaths.

The satisfaction I felt was indescribable. Knowing that he was off the streets filled me with solace and a sense of peace settled over me. You were safe and I had done my duty and protected you. You, my best friend. Unfortunately, his life was not the only thing I stole that night. I also stole our future together. I was selfish and in acting on my desire for revenge I lost a life with you.

Consider this my confession. Know that I love you. Know that I cherish you. Know, that if I had the chance, I would go back and change everything. Not because I am sorry about what I did to him, but because I am sorry about what I did to you. I can't be there when you need me…and to me…that is unforgivable.

Always and forever yours,  
>Armin<p>

When I finished reading I looked down to see the page littered with tear drops.

_Oh, Armin. And here I thought…_

I slowly flip over to the next page and see a scrap book of sorts; an anthology of Armin's thoughts while he was gone. He lamented over missed birthdays, missed Christmas's, and everything else in general. Unable to bear it any longer I shut the book and leave it on the floor.

My mind raced at the enormity of what I just read. Armin and I were best friends but when it came down to it, what did it really mean?

_It means that he would do anything for me and I would do anything for him...no matter what._

I reach for my cell phone and call Armin.

"Hey," I say as I wipe the tears from my face. "I've changed my mind...I'm coming home."

~Two days later~

I knock on Armin's front door with anticipation. I hadn't talked to him since I told him I was coming home. He had been upset, telling me I was being rash and stupid because I was giving up such a great opportunity.

'You can't play with your future like this', he said.

'I've made up my mind,' was my reply to which he countered:

'You're going to regret it. Maybe not today, but soon enough. Please, don't do this.'

I ended the conversation with:

'There's nothing you can do, Armin. I'll see you in a couple of days.'

And here I am.

The front door opened and there was Armin, as handsome as ever, in a simple t-shirt and jeans. He just stood there and looked at me, his face a mask.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" I asked softly.

"Not like this."

"Armin…" I began but stopped. My mind fell back to our first high school party, when Armin spun the bottle and it landed on me.

I pass through the front door and left Armin remaining where he stood. I went down the hallway and retreated into his living room. It was sparsely decorated with a single couch, a small entertainment stand, and a modest flat screen TV. There were no pictures on the walls, no frilly decorations, just the bare necessities of one trying to piece a life back together.

I plop down on the couch and beckon Armin to me. He didn't budge. I sigh and begin the conversation I had been rehearsing the whole way here.

"I need you to understand why I came back." Armin's face twitched. "I came back because I was curious." Armin slowly shifts towards me expressionless. "Curious as to why you felt you had to protect me all this time."

"You're my best friend. That's what best friends do." Armin replied, dropping his words like dishes crashing on the floor.

"That's not true." Armin looks at me incredulously, his mouth practically gaping at what I just said. "Best friends go to the movies, share secrets, and make each other laugh. They don't-" I stop, knowing I had said enough.

Understanding flashes through Armin's eyes and he immediately bows under the weight of what I was implying.

"How long have you known?" He whispers brokenly, making his way from the hallway to the living room.

"Two days."

"That's it?"

"I suppose part of me knew since before…you know…but I didn't want to admit it. I mean, you are my best friend and I love you…but, once I started looking more closely… Armin, best friends don't love each other the way-"

"I love you." Armin stated bluntly, his eyes burning with acknowledgement. I blink several times in shock. I had only planned for us to step lightly around the issue and finding some sort of solution. I hadn't planned on him saying it…out loud.

"Well?"

I sat there as Armin towered over me, waiting for some sort of response.

_I'm not ready for this. What was I thinking? _

I pawed and scratched for something to say but it was no use. I was absolutely speechless and had no clue as to what to do next. I looked up at Armin, helpless.

Seeing me lost in confusion, Armin did the one thing he always did. He smiled his warm, reassuring smile letting me know that everything was going to be alright. It was also the same smile he gave me when I was about to take a risk.

He knew me all too well.

I reach up and pull Armin to me, letting his soft lips fall onto mine. His kiss was sweet and tender, an echo of the first one we shared as teenagers.

_This is where I belong…with him._

The tension suddenly released itself from my body, signaling to Armin my decision. He wrapped his arms around me in acceptance and my body instantly relaxed, melding itself into his embrace. Armin lowers himself next to me and deepens his kiss. He coaxes my mouth open with his and our tongues meet for the first time. His danced and flitted while mine licked and teased.

Armin lays me down on the couch, taking care not to break our passionate embrace. His hands roam my upper body lifting my shirt while caressing my hips and stomach. He eventually makes his way up to my breasts and squeezes them through the soft fabric of my bra. I break our connection and moan. The roughness of his hands through the fabric was enough to set my whole body on fire.

"Armin," I say with need. "Please…"

"Not yet." He lifts himself off me long enough to remove his shirt and mine before settling back on top of me. His hands immediately encircle my body and play with the clasp of my bra long enough for it to snap open, revealing the rest of me to his gaze. He looks at me appreciatively before taking one of my breasts into his mouth drawing on it lightly. In response, I dig my nails into his muscular shoulders. I was defenseless against his touch.

Changing direction, Armin released me from his torturous hold and focuses his attention further south.

"May I?" He asks quietly, indicating his intentions of taking off my pants. Tears gather in my eyes over this simple question and I nod in acquiescence. His kindness knew no bounds. He wanted to make sure that I had every chance to think about what we were doing and that I was okay with it.

Armin unbuttoned my pants and slid them off along with my underwear. He then followed suit. For the next few moments, we simply stared at one another, sensing the significance of the act we were about to carry out.

Armin kept his eyes on me as he lowered himself in between my legs, positioning his tip at my opening.

He asked me if I was ready.

I pressed my lips together and murmured a nervous yes.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain that awaited me but when it didn't come, I opened my eyes again to see Armin in the same position he was in when I had closed them.

Again, he smiled his warm, reassuring smile.

"I love you." He said, kissing me on the forehead.

This time I had something to say back.

"I love you, too."

Upon my response, Armin gently glided himself inside of me and to my joyous surprise, there was no pain; only sweetness and the soft touch of the man I knew and loved.

That day, we broke out of the confines of our relationship and the past events that had begun to define us. We took this risk of revealing ourselves to one another in order to form a new bond, not knowing how it would work or what shape it would take; only having faith that at the very least we would remain…always and forever…best friends.


End file.
